DCS Paganini Upsampler User manual

dCS Paganini Upsampler
Digital to Digital Converter
User Manual
Software Release 1.1x
March 2011
© Data Conversion Systems Ltd. 2009-2011 Price UK £8.00 / Euro 12.00
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system,
or transmitted in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise)
without the prior written permission of dCS1. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this
publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
Information contained in this manual is subject to change without notice, and whilst it is checked for accuracy, no
liabilities can be accepted for errors.
1dCS is Data Conversion Systems Ltd. Company registered in England No. 2072115.

dCS Paganini Upsampler User Manual Software Issue 1.1x
March 2011
Filename: Paganini Upsampler Manual v1_1x.docx Page 2 English version

dCS Paganini Upsampler User Manual Software Issue 1.1x
March 2011
Filename: Paganini Upsampler Manual v1_1x.docx Page 3 English version
Contents
Using the dCS Paganini Upsampler for the first time..............................................................................4
What’s in the box? 4
Positioning the unit 4
Safety Notice 5
Patent Pending 5
Step-by-Step Guide...............................................................................................................................6
Preliminaries 6
STEP 1 - Connecting an Input 7
STEP 2 – Setting up the USB source 8
A word about Music Playing Software 8
Selecting the Paganini Upsampler as your Audio Output device 8
STEP 3 – Connecting an Output 9
Single wire PCM 9
Dual AES 10
1394 interface 11
STEP 4 - Setting the Sync Source 12
Using the USB input in Master Mode 12
Using a Master Clock 12
A Typical 4-box Paganini System 13
Using the Paganini Upsampler and DAC 14
Front Panel...........................................................................................................................................15
POWER Button 15
MENU Button 15
INPUT button 15
OUTPUT Button 15
Remote Control Receiver 16
Display 16
Rear Panel............................................................................................................................................17
Digital Inputs 17
Digital Outputs 17
Word Clock Input / Output 18
SUC Connector 18
Mains inlet 18
The Menu..............................................................................................................................................19
Using the Menu 20
INFORMATION Menu 21
UPSAMPLER SETTINGS Menu 22
DISPLAY SETTINGS Menu 25
Specification ........................................................................................................................................26
Maintenance and Support...................................................................................................................27
Service and Maintenance 27
Replacing a Blown Mains Fuse 27
Cleaning the case 27
Limited Warranty 28
Operating Conditions 28
If you need more help 29
Software History 29

dCS Paganini Upsampler User Manual Software Issue 1.1x
March 2011
Filename: Paganini Upsampler Manual v1_1x.docx Page 4 English version
USING THE dCS Paganini Upsampler FOR THE FIRST TIME
Congratulations on purchasing your dCS Paganini Upsampler.
Before using your unit, please read this section and the Step by Step Guide. This will enable you to
set the unit up quickly and safely with your hi-fi system.
From time to time, dCS will release updated software on CD that you can install yourself using the CD
Update feature. Please check our web-site occasionally to see if new Paganini software is available, or
consult your dealer.
What’s in the box?
Check that the box contains the following items:
•dCS Paganini Upsampler
•Manual and Menu / Setup Guide
•Power cable
•1394 cable
•BNC cable
•USB cable
•2 spare fuses
Notify your dealer as soon as possible if anything is missing or damaged. We suggest that you retain
the original packaging for possible future use. If this is not possible, replacement packaging can be
ordered from dCS or our distributors. Details can be found on our web site at www.dcsltd.co.uk.
The cables supplied are commercial-grade parts, as we realise our customers will want to make their
own choices.
The dCS Premium Remote handset is supplied as standard with the Paganini Transport. If you do not
have a Paganini Transport in your system or it was supplied with the original basic remote handset, a
remote control can be ordered direct from dCS as an optional extra.
Positioning the unit
Units in the Paganini range may be stacked directly on top of each other, but are likely to give better
sonic results when mounted on separate shelves of a rack. Place each unit on a firm, vibration free
base, allowing convenient connection to the other parts of your system. To prevent overheating, we
recommend that you leave some free space around the unit to allow for ventilation.
3 feet are fitted as standard, this may be changed to the 4-foot arrangement shown below, if you
prefer. Spare feet are available as an optional extra. The mounting points are M4 size, maximum
screw depth is 10mm.
FRONT EDGE
BACK EDGE
MOUNTING POINT
FOR 4 FOOT
ARRANGEMENT
MOUNTING POINT
FOR 4 FOOT
ARRANGEMENT
FRONT EDGE
BACK EDGE
MOUNTING POINT
FOR 3 FOOT
ARRANGEMENT
STANDARD 3-FOOT
ARRANGEMENT
OPTIONAL 4-FOOT
ARRANGEMENT

dCS Paganini Upsampler User Manual Software Issue 1.1x
March 2011
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Safety Notice
Your dCS Paganini Upsampler contains no user serviceable parts. DO NOT attempt to
open the case as there are potentially dangerous voltages present inside. In the event of
the unit developing a fault, please contact your dealer in the first instance.
To maintain protection from electric shock, the unit MUST be connected to mains earth
(ground) via the power cable. Also, unearthed systems do not give the best sonic
performance.
This product is lead-free to comply with the RoHS directive.
Before connecting the power cable to the unit for the first time, please check that it has been set to the
correct operating voltage for your mains supply. The unit’s voltage setting is shown on the serial
number label. If this does not match your local supply voltage, DO NOT attempt to use the unit.
Contact your dealer to have the unit reset. Using the unit with the wrong mains setting for your local
supply may result in serious damage to the unit and will invalidate the warranty. Do not attempt to
reset the voltage yourself.
We do not recommend the use of mains regenerators. However, if you do wish to use a mains
regenerator with variable voltage and frequency, we recommend that you set the voltage to match
your local voltage and the frequency to either 50Hz or 60Hz ONLY.
!
Damage caused to your Paganini Upsampler by misuse of a mains regenerator or by a
malfunctioning mains regenerator is not covered by the warranty.
Disposal at end-of-life - the symbol indicates that this product should not be treated as
normal household waste. It should be recycled, so please take it to an approved
collection facility.
Patent Pending
This product contains novel features that are the subject of patent application GB0817141.5.

dCS Paganini Upsampler User Manual Software Issue 1.1x
March 2011
Filename: Paganini Upsampler Manual v1_1x.docx Page 6 English version
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE
This section guides you through setting up the unit for basic operation.
Preliminaries
The Menu / Setup Guide sheet details the menu structure and details the two most common set-ups.
For digital interfaces, use with cables designed for digital audio:
•for AES/EBU interfaces use 110Ωscreened, twisted pair cables fitted with one male XLR
connector and one female XLR connector.
•for Word Clock interfaces, use 75Ωcoax cables fitted with BNC plugs.
•for SPDIF RCA interfaces, use 75Ωcoax cables fitted with RCA Phono plugs.
•for IEEE 1394 interfaces, use the IEEE 1394 cable provided with the unit.
•For USB interfaces, use the USB cable provided with the unit.
Connect the power cable supplied to the power inlet on the Upsampler’s rear panel, plug the other end
into a convenient power outlet.
!
Please do not use an excessively heavy or inflexible power cable as this may damage the
power inlet connector.
Set the rear panel power switch to the Iposition. Briefly press the Power button and wait about 30
seconds while the Upsampler configures itself. The display will show in sequence: dCS, Paganini
Upsampler and No Input > 24/96.
If the unit is likely to be set in an unfamiliar state, you can reset it as follows:
Press the Menu button, press the →(Output)button once, then the Menu button again to display the
Upsampler Settings menu. Press the ←(Input) button repeatedly to highlight the Factory Reset menu
page. Press the Menu button and wait a few seconds while the settings are reset.

dCS Paganini Upsampler User Manual Software Issue 1.1x
March 2011
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STEP 1 - Connecting an Input
Use suitable cables to connect your source equipment to the matching digital input connectors on the
back panel of the Paganini Upsampler. The unit will accept up to 24-bit data at 32, 44.1, 48, 88.2 or
96kS/s. You can connect any interfaces you need or all 4 if you wish.
Use the INPUT button on the front panel to select the input you require, the choices are: AES, USB,
RCA1 & RCA2.
The label for the selected input at the top left corner of the screen will highlight. If the source is
generating recognisable PCM, the Upsampler will lock, displaying the input / output sample rates and
the Sync icon:
For example, when connected to an AES source generating 16/44.1 data:
Go to STEP 2.

dCS Paganini Upsampler User Manual Software Issue 1.1x
March 2011
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STEP 2 – Setting up the USB source
The USB interface can be connected to a WindowsTM Vista/ WindowsTM 7 or XP (SP2 or later) PC,
MacTM OSX (10.5.4 or later) systems or a sound server, running software to generate PCM data.
If you do not want to use a USB source, go to STEP 3.
A word about Music Playing Software
There are countless programs that can play music on WindowsTM PC and Apple MacTM OSX systems.
Unfortunately, not all of them present the data completely unprocessed to the USB ports. For
example, Windows Media Player re-samples all data to 24 bits, albeit at the original sample rate,
whilst iTunes rate converts data as necessary to the output sample rate set in the OSX Audio set-up
panel.
With such a proliferation of playing software, and with updates being issued daily, it is impossible for
dCS to be fully up-to-date with the behaviour and performance of all programs. If you have questions
or problems, we would urge you to take them up with your software vendor. What we will say is that
different programs operate very differently and it is well worth finding out exactly how your particular
program processes the audio.
One particular problem that has been identified and is worthy of note, concerns the popular iTunes
program when running on Windows systems. The default output word length is 16 bits and must be
changed to 24 bits for correct operation. To do this, click on Start > Control Panel > Quicktime.
Click on the Audio tab of the Quicktime panel and select 24 bit in the Size field of the Sound Out
section.
Selecting the Paganini Upsampler as your Audio Output device
Whichever program you are using to play your music, your computer may not automatically select
your Paganini Upsampler as the preferred playback device. You can correct this as follows :
Windows XP - Once you have connected the Paganini Upsampler and switched it on, go to Start >
Control Panel > Sounds and Audio devices. Click on the Audio tab and select dCS Paganini from
the drop down list in the Sound Playback Default device list. For best results, set the Sample Rate to
be the same as that of the file.
Windows Vista - Once you have connected the Paganini Upsampler and switched it on, go to Start >
Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Sound and click on the Playback tab of the panel that
appears. dCS Paganini will appear in the list of available devices. For best results, set the Sample
Rate to be the same as that of the file.
MacTM OSX - Once you have connected the Paganini Upsampler and switched it on, open Finder,
click on the Go tab and select Utilities. In the Utilities panel, select Audio MIDI Setup and click on
the Audio Devices in the Audio MIDI setup panel. Select dCS Paganini from the drop down list in the
System Output. You can also set dCS Paganini as the default output from the same panel. For best
results, set the Sample Rate to be the same as that of the file.
For more detailed advice, please visit www.dcsltd.co.uk/page/support and download the “dCS Guide
to Computer Audio”.
Go to STEP 3.

dCS Paganini Upsampler User Manual Software Issue 1.1x
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STEP 3 – Connecting an Output
Choose which output interface you want to use and connect it up as described below. You can
connect as many outputs as you wish.
!
If the output format is not compatible with a particular interface, that interface will not be
active (for example, the AES1 output cannot carry DSD).
The Upsampler will not output sample rates that are lower than the input sample rate.
Single wire PCM
Connect one or more of the PCM outputs (AES1, AES2, RCA1, RCA2) to matching inputs on your
DAC. Use the OUTPUT button on the front panel to set the output sample rate to 32, 44.1, 48, 88.2 or
96kS/s. Use the DAC’s INPUT button to select that input.
Paganini DAC
Paganini Upsampler
SUC
RCA 1
RCA 2
RCA1
AES2
W/CLK
IN
~ 50/60 Hz, 30W
Fuse T 500mA L
W/CLK
OUT
dCS Model: Paganini Upsampler
PUSH
AES 1 USB
RCA2
AES1
DIGITAL (PCM) OUTPUTS DIGITAL (PCM) INPUTS 1394
SUC
RCA 1
RCA 2
LEFT
RIGHT
W/CLK
IN
~ 50/60 Hz, 30W
Fuse T 500mA L
W/CLK
OUT
dCS Model: Paganini DAC
PUSH PUSH
AES 1 AES 2
RIGHT
LEFT
ANALOGUE OUTPUTS DIGITAL INPUTS 1394
Figure 1 – Connecting the single-wire outputs
Go to STEP 4.

dCS Paganini Upsampler User Manual Software Issue 1.1x
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Dual AES
Connect the AES1 and AES2 outputs to matching inputs on your DAC. Use the OUTPUT button on
the front panel to set the output sample rate to 88.2, 96, 176.4 or 192kS/s. If you choose 88.2 or
96kS/s, open the menu, scroll to the Upsampler Settings page and make sure Dual AES is On. If it is
not, scroll to Single AES and press the MENU button to change it to Dual AES. Use the DAC’s INPUT
button to select the Dual AES input. You may need to open the DAC’s menu and set it to accept Dual
AES.
!
All dCS DACs are capable of Dual AES operation, but some other manufacturer’s DACs
may have 2 single AES inputs that are not Dual AES capable. Please check the DAC
manual to be sure.
Paganini DAC
Paganini Upsampler
SUC
RCA 1
RCA 2
RCA1
AES2
W/CLK
IN
~ 50/60 Hz, 30W
Fuse T 500mA L
W/CLK
OUT
dCS Model: Paganini Upsampler
PUSH
AES 1 USB
RCA2
AES1
DIGITAL (PCM) OUTPUTS DIGITAL (PCM) INPUTS 1394
SUC
RCA 1
RCA 2
LEFT
RIGHT
W/CLK
IN
~ 50/60 Hz, 30W
Fuse T 500mA L
W/CLK
OUT
dCS Model: Paganini DAC
PUSH PUSH
AES 1 AES 2
RIGHT
LEFT
ANALOGUE OUTPUTS DIGITAL INPUTS 1394
Dual
AES
Figure 2 – Connecting the Dual AES output
Go to STEP 4.

dCS Paganini Upsampler User Manual Software Issue 1.1x
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1394 interface
Connect the Upsampler’s 1394 output to the 1394 interface on a dCS DAC. Use the OUTPUT button
on the front panel to set the output format to DSD. If the DAC and the Upsampler are not locked to a
master clock, also connect the Upsampler’s W/Clock Output to the DAC’s Word Clock Input. Use the
DAC’s INPUT button to select the 1394 input. If necessary, set the DAC to sync to its Word Clock
Input. The DAC will lock and display PUP.
!
The Upsampler’s 1394 interface is unlikely to work with other manufacturer’s 1394
interfaces due to proprietary encryption.
!
You can connect 1394 cables in a “tree”, but do not connect them in a loop as this
prevents the system initialising.
Paganini DAC
Paganini Upsampler
SUC
RCA 1
RCA 2
RCA1
AES2
W/CLK
IN
~ 50/60 Hz, 30W
Fuse T 500mA L
W/CLK
OUT
dCS Model: Paganini Upsampler
PUSH
AES 1 USB
RCA2
AES1
DIGITAL (PCM) OUTPUTS DIGITAL (PCM) INPUTS 1394
SUC
RCA 1
RCA 2
LEFT
RIGHT
W/CLK
IN
~ 50/60 Hz, 30W
Fuse T 500mA L
W/CLK
OUT
dCS Model: Paganini DAC
PUSH PUSH
AES 1 AES 2
RIGHT
LEFT
ANALOGUE OUTPUTS DIGITAL INPUTS 1394
1394
BNC
Figure 3 – Connecting the 1394 interface
Go to STEP 4.
Start the source playing and set the DAC’s Volume control to a comfortable level.
You should have audio at this point.

dCS Paganini Upsampler User Manual Software Issue 1.1x
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STEP 4 - Setting the Sync Source
The system has been set up to lock to the clock generated by the source, (unless you are using the
USB input) and the Sync icon should be displayed. To check this, press the Menu button, press the
→button once, then the Menu button again to display the Upsampler Settings menu. If the Upsampler
was reset at the start of this procedure, you should see the Sync Source – Audio icon:
This is the simplest arrangement, but it does not give the best sonic performance due to clock jitter.
You can improve the performance by adding a Master Clock to your system.
Using the USB input in Master Mode
Jitter from computer sources is typically very severe and can degrade the audio quality. To avoid this,
the Upsampler’s USB interface runs in Asynchonous mode. The Upsampler does not lock to the
source clock, but uses the Upsampler’s internal clock instead - this is called Master Mode - and
adjusts the source to the same clock frequency. To use the Master Mode:
•Connect the Upsampler’s USB interface to a suitable source.
•Use the Upsampler’s INPUT button to select the USB interface.
•Press the Menu button, press the →button once, press the Menu button to display the Upsampler
Settings menu, press the →button to select the Sync Source page and then press the Menu
button as necessary to change the setting to Master:
•Set the Upsampler’s OUTPUT rate as you wish, connect the appropriate outputs to the DAC and
use the DAC’s INPUT button to select that input.
The Upsampler will draw data from the source, but it is not locked to the source, so the Sync icon is
NOT displayed. You can improve the performance by adding a Master Clock to your system.
Using a Master Clock
If you have a Paganini Clock (or other dedicated Clock) in your system, lock the source, the Upsampler
and the DAC to the Clock for the best performance. To do this:
•Connect the Clock’s Word Clock Outputs to the Word Clock Inputs on the source, Upsampler
and DAC.
•Set the Clock Frequency to suit the source and DAC. For a CD Transport as source with the
Upsampler set to output 24/176.4 or DSD, the correct frequency is 44.1kHz. For a 24/48 source
with the Upsampler set to 24/192, the correct frequency is 48kHz.
•Select the required input on the Upsampler and DAC. This is important because these units store a
different Sync Source setting for each input.
•To set the Upsampler to lock to the Clock, press the Menu button, press the →button once, press
the Menu button to display the Upsampler Settings menu, press the →button to select the Sync
Source page and then press the Menu button as necessary to change the setting to WClk:
•The Paganini Upsampler will display the Sync icon, provided the clock is recognised. If there is no
signal at the Word Clock In connector or it is not recognisable, the Upsampler will sync to audio
and display this icon to warn you:
•The Paganini Transport will automatically lock to the Clock and display Sync.
•Set the Paganini DAC to sync to Word Clock by pressing the SYNC button as necessary.

dCS Paganini Upsampler User Manual Software Issue 1.1x
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A Typical 4-box Paganini System
SUC
RCA 1
RCA 2
W/CLK
IN
~ 50/60 Hz, 50W
Fuse T 500mA L
1394
W/CLK
OUT
AES 1 AES 2
PCM OUTPUTS
dCS Model: Paganini Transport
Class 1 Laser Product
SUC
1
4
2
5
3
6
SPDIF
IN
~ 50/60 Hz, 50W
Fuse T 500mA L
W/CLK OUT
dCS Model:
Paganini System
Master Clock
SUC
RCA 1
RCA 2
LEFT
RIGHT
W/CLK
IN
~ 50/60 Hz, 50W
Fuse T 500mA L
W/CLK
OUT
dCS Model: Paganini DAC
PUSH PUSH
AES 1 AES 2
RIGHT
LEFT
ANALOGUE OUTPUTS DIGITAL INPUTS 1394
Transport
Clock
DAC
RLRL
Analogue Outputs
Balanced & Unbalanced
SUC
RCA 1
RCA 2
RCA1
AES2
W/CLK
IN
~ 50/60 Hz, 30W
Fuse T 500mA L
W/CLK
OUT
dCS Model: Paganini Upsampler
PUSH
AES 1 USB
RCA2
AES1
DIGITAL (PCM) OUTPUTS DIGITAL (PCM) INPUTS 1394
Upsampler
Windows
Vista / XP
or Mac OSX
BNC
BNC AES
USB
1394
1394
Figure 4 – An example of a full Paganini system plus a laptop
•The system is synchronised by a Clock running at 44.1kHz. Set the Upsampler and DAC to sync
to WClk.
•The Upsampler takes data from the Transport or the laptop, it is set to upsample to DSD.
•The DAC takes DSD data from the Transport or Upsampler via 1394,
•As an alternative, connect Dual AES from Upsampler to DAC and upsample to 24/176.4.

dCS Paganini Upsampler User Manual Software Issue 1.1x
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Using the Paganini Upsampler and DAC
If your system consists of a computer, Paganini Upsampler and DAC but you do not have a Clock, you
can use the DAC as the Master Clock as described below.
Paganini DAC
LLR R
Balanced - or - Unbalanced
Analogue Outputs
To pre- or power amplifier inputs
Paganini Upsampler
1394
2x
XLR
USB
Windows
Vista / XP
or Mac OSX
SUC
RCA 1
RCA 2
RCA1
AES2
W/CLK
IN
~ 50/60 Hz, 30W
Fuse T 500mA L
W/CLK
OUT
dCS Model: Paganini Upsampler
PUSH
AES 1 USB
RCA2
AES1
DIGITAL (PCM) OUTPUTS DIGITAL (PCM) INPUTS 1394
SUC
RCA 1
RCA 2
LEFT
RIGHT
W/CLK
IN
~ 50/60 Hz, 30W
Fuse T 500mA L
W/CLK
OUT
dCS Model: Paganini DAC
PUSH PUSH
AES 1 AES 2
RIGHT
LEFT
ANALOGUE OUTPUTS DIGITAL INPUTS 1394
BNC
Figure 5 – Using a Paganini Upsampler and DAC with a laptop
•The system is synchronised by the DAC running in Master Mode at 44.1kHz. Remember to select
the DAC input first before using the DAC’s Sync button to select Master.
!
The DAC will NOT operate in Master mode when receiving 32, 48, 96 or 192kS/s data.
•The Upsampler takes data from the laptop, it will typically be set to upsample to 24/176.4 or DSD.
Set the Upsampler Settings / Sync Source menu page to WClk.
•The DAC takes data from the Upsampler via 1394 (DSD) or Dual AES (24/176.4), it is your
choice.
For further improvement, add a Paganini Clock to the system.
The next step is crucial – sit back and enjoy the music.

dCS Paganini Upsampler User Manual Software Issue 1.1x
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FRONT PANEL
Figure 6 – Front panel
POWER Button
To switch on, ensure the rear panel switch is set to Iand press the POWER button (A) on the front
panel once. Note that the unit cannot be turned on from the remote control.
To set the unit to sleep mode, press the POWER button once. The main display will turn off, the LED
to the left of the button will illuminate, and the outputs will mute, but the unit will remain close to
running temperature. Press again to return to normal operation.
To switch off, hold down the POWER button for about 5 seconds until Power Down appears on the
display, then release it.
When the menu is open, press the POWER button to close the menu.
MENU Button
Press the MENU button (B) to open the menu, select menu pages and change settings. See the Menu
section on page 19 for information on using the menu features.
INPUT button
Press the INPUT button (E) repeatedly to cycle through the available digital inputs. The sequence is:
AES, USB, RCA1, RCA2, AES, etc.
When the menu is open, the INPUT button changes to the <button, used to page backwards through
the menu.
OUTPUT Button
Use the OUTPUT button (F) to select the output sample rate / format. The sequence is:
32kS/s, 44.1kS/s, 48kS/s, 88.2kS/s, 96kS/s, 176.4kS/s, 192kS/s, DSD, 32kS/s, etc.
The output rate cannot be less than the input rate, so the lower rates may disappear from the list.
Once the output rate is set, it is not affected by a change of digital input or input sample rate, unless
the input rate exceeds the output rate. If this should happen, the output changes to match the input
rate.

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When the menu is open, the OUTPUT button changes to the >button, used to page forwards through
the menu.
Remote Control Receiver
Aim the remote control handset (supplied with the Transport) towards the receiver (K) for best
sensitivity.
Display
In normal use, the display (M) is split into 3 areas.
The section on the left side is the input indicator, showing the selected indicator highlighted (AES in
the example above).
The section in the top centre shows the input data format on the left (24 bits at 48kS/s in this example)
and the output data format on the right (24 bits at 96kS/s in this example). No Input on the left side
indicates there is no data stream on the selected input. 0bits on the left side indicates that a data
stream is present but carries no audio data at the moment (for example when the tray of the CD
Transport is open).
The three icons in the lower right corner indicate (starting from the left side):
•the Upsampler is locked. This icon disappears when the unit is not locked (or in Master mode), and
greys out while the unit is attempting to lock.
•the Sync mode (synced to Audio in the example) and
•the selected filter (Filter 1 in the example). When in Clone mode, this icon is replaced by the Clone
icon.
In the second example below, the input indicator has changed to show that the RCA1 input is
selected. The sample rate section shows that the unit is receiving a 16 bit 44.1kS/s data stream and
converting it to DSD. The icons in the lower right corner indicate that the Upsampler is locked to an
external clock, the Upsampler is sync’ed to Word Clock and Filter 1is selected.
Details of the menu displays are shown in the Menu section on page 19.
If the display is turned off on the Display Settings / Display Off menu page, the LED (L) above the
display lights.

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REAR PANEL
Figure 7 - Rear Panel
Digital Inputs
All the digital inputs will accept up to 24-bit PCM data at 32, 44.1, 48, 88.2 or 96kS/s.
The standard PCM inputs are AES on a 3-way female XLR connector (W), SPDIF inputs RCA1 &
RCA2 on RCA phono connectors (V).
The USB interface on a ‘B’ type connector (X) will accept uncompressed music data from a
Windows™ PC, MAC™ or sound server equipped with a USB 2.0 interface.
!
We have tested this interface with several common formats running on Windows™ Vista,
Windows™ XP and MAC™ OSX but we cannot accept responsibility for correct
operation with all source devices, operating systems or software.
Digital Outputs
All of the outputs consistent with the selected output mode are active at the same time.
All the single-wire PCM digital outputs generate 24-bit PCM data at 32, 44.1, 48, 88.2 or 96kS/s.
!
The Paganini Upsampler does not have facilities to reduce the output word length of PCM
data to less than 24 bits. It will not give good results with older DACs or other equipment
that cannot process 24-bit data. ALL dCS equipment will accept 24-bit PCM data.
The AES1 and AES2 outputs (R) can be used individually at up to 96kS/s or as a Dual AES pair at
88.2, 96, 176.4 or 192kS/s. These outputs are disabled in DSD mode.
!
For Dual AES operation at 88.2 or 96kS/s, the Dual AES menu page must be set to On,
otherwise both outputs will carry single AES data.
2 SPDIF outputs are provided, RCA1 and RCA2, on RCA phono connectors (S). These outputs carry
SPDIF data for output rates up to 96kS/s, even if Dual AES mode is set. They are disabled if the
output is set to 176.4 or 192kS/s or DSD.

dCS Paganini Upsampler User Manual Software Issue 1.1x
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The IEEE 1394 interface (Y) outputs encrypted DSD data. 1394 interfaces are great for carrying lots of
digital data - but are very poor at transmitting a stable clock, so a separate Word Clock connection is
required. The two 1394 ports are identical – they can be used as data outputs or as a pass-through.
Note that the 1394 bus must not be connected in a loop as this will prevent the system initialising.
Word Clock Input / Output
The W/Clock In connector (T) will accept standard word clock from the source equipment or a master
clock at 32, 44.1, 48, 88.2 or 96kHz. Unlike the DAC, the clock frequency does not need to be an
exact multiple of the input data rate provided the two rates are synchronous. Set the Upsampler
Settings / Sync Source menu page to WClk when locking to an external word clock. Note that the
source (e.g. the CD Transport) MUST be locked to the same clock, otherwise the SYSTEM will not be
locked and periodic clicks will be heard on the outputs.
The W/Clock Out connector (U) carries word clock at the same frequency as the single-wire output
sample rate, or 44.1kHz for DSD. For example, if the output is set to 192kS/s Dual AES, the W/Clock
Out connector carries a clock at half this rate – 96kHz.
Word clock is used for synchronisation only, it does not carry digital data.
SUC Connector
The SUC connector (Z) is an RS232 interface, primarily used to remotely control the unit during
automated testing. Please contact dCS for advice on using this interface with a household automation
system. Note that we recommend using infra-red remote control instead.
Mains inlet
Power is connected via a standard IEC320 connector (P), protected by a fuse (Q) and isolated by a 2-
pole power switch (O).

dCS Paganini Upsampler User Manual Software Issue 1.1x
March 2011
Filename: Paganini Upsampler Manual v1_1x.docx Page 19 English version
THE MENU
Figure 8 – The menu sequence

dCS Paganini Upsampler User Manual Software Issue 1.1x
March 2011
Filename: Paganini Upsampler Manual v1_1x.docx Page 20 English version
Using the Menu
The menu gives the user access to a range of additional features. It also allows new features and
performance enhancements to be added at a later date by software upgrades.
The menu is controlled by four buttons.
Press the MENU button to open the menu or select a setting.
Press the >button to page forward through the menu.
Press the <button to page backward through the menu.
Press the POWER button to close the menu or just wait 5 seconds.
Use the Menu Guide sheet to help you find the right menu.
Each unit in the range has either three or four top-level menu pages:
The INFORMATION menu gives software issues, serial number, contact details and unit
set-up details.
The SETTINGS menu allows you to set some features that are not directly accessible
from the front panel.
The DISPLAY SETTINGS menu is used to adjust and test the display.
Use the >button to move the highlight to the menu you want, then press the MENU button to select it.
The next menu level down is displayed. Use the >button to move the highlight to the menu page you
want, then press the MENU button to display the information or change the setting.
Select the exit icon to go back to the previous menu level.